ABC's of Christmas
by Zoe Saugin
Summary: AZ snapshots of the holidays. PostNFA, postChosen. BuffySpike FaithAngel DawnAndrew WillowOz XanderOC


Title: ABC's of Christmas

Author: Zoe Saugin/LovelyKat/Frostybyte

Pairing: Buffy/Spike, Faith/Angel, Dawn/Andrew, Xander/OC, Willow/Oz

Timeline: Post-NFA, post-Chosen

Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel do not belong to me, and no matter how hard I wish for them, they are as unlikely as a pony in my future. I do own Dallas and this Tara and Kennedy…not the same Tara and Kennedy from the series, but this Tara and Kennedy…you'll see.

Dedication: To Katie, for always being there this past year…I know this present can't even begin to compare to what you got me, but it's a start. Also, dedicated to all the members of the Fireplace, for bringing joy and happiness to even my darkest days.

* * *

**A** is for **Angel**

"Come on, my little niece-y." cajoled Dawn as the little girl in front of her pouted. "You have to choose, Tara. Should we put the angel or the star on top of the tree?"

"That's not what an angel looks like." Tara complained, lip jutting out stubbornly. "Angel is dark and brood—" The girl concentrated. "Broodingly?"

"Brooding." Corrected Dawn, hiding a smile.

"And Daddy says that Angel is a poofter. I'm not sure what it means, and no one will tell me. Aunt Dawn, will you tell me?" The girl's eyes looked up at the former Key, silently begging. Dawn forced herself to resist what had been nicknamed in Slayer Central as the 'Bambi eyes'.

"I'll tell you when you're older." Much, much older, she silently added.

The girl folded her arms, and for a second was the spitting image of her mother. "Anyways, that's not what an Angel looks like."

"Well, the Angel you're talking about is living with Auntie Faith, remember?" said Dawn, grinning. "This is a different kind of angel."

"The star." said the seven-year-old, decisively. "Let's put the star on top."

"Okay." Dawn did as she was told. "Well, we finished before Mommy and Daddy got back."

"Oh, you guys, the tree looks beautiful." Announced Buffy, entering the room. She pulled Spike behind her, his arms laden with bags. "Don't we usually put an angel on top, though?"

"Yes, but Tara wanted the star." Dawn grinned wickedly at Spike. "She says Angel is a poofter."

Buffy turned to face the souled-vampire-turned-human. "You taught our daughter a British swear?" She said menacingly.

"Accidentally." said Spike, a trace of amusement evident in his voice. "Really."

* * *

**B** is for **Bells**

"Xander, this is a very big deal." retorted Dallas, watching as her husband tripped over an umbrella stand in an attempt to get his coat.

"I know, and Buffy will kill us if we aren't there. So will Willow, actually…"

"I'd be more worried about the two severely angry eleven-year-olds who will castrate you when they find out that their favorite uncle missed their performance."

Xander winced at the thought. "Well, it's just them singing 'Jingle Bells.'"

Dallas shook her head in disbelief. "Sometimes I wonder why I married you." She continued. "_This_ is important to them. They've been…deficient in having a normal life. Tara is a symbol at the center of one of the greatest armies in history, and Kennedy is the daughter of one of the most powerful witches in the world and a werewolf. Both are named for dead girlfriends of said powerful witch. All they want is to be accepted for who they are, not who their parents are. Both know that they have armies that would go to war for them, but they also want to have boyfriends, and hang out at the mall, and have their UNCLES GET TO THEIR PERFORMANCES ON TIME." Her voice rose and turned icy. "So, to you, it's just 'Jingle Bells'. To them, it's a symbol."

"It's times like this that I remember you are a psychologist." winced Xander. "Okay, I'm ready now." Man and woman hurried out of the door into the falling snow.

* * *

**C** is for **Candy**

Buffy looked at Faith in disbelief.

"I…I can't believe it." She stuttered. "Do you know what you've done?"

"B, settle down." said Faith, raising her hands in mock surrender.

"Settle down?" Buffy retorted. "Faith, you just gave my already extremely hyper five-year-old daughter and her best friend, like…five pounds of candy each."

Faith rolled her eyes. "Come on. You've saved the world 16 times at last count. And you can't deal with two hyper kids?"

Buffy smirked evilly. "Oh, I won't be dealing with them." She called into the other room. "Spike, honey, Faith volunteered to babysit, so we should go patrol." She grinned at her sister Slayer. "Have fun. Bye."

Faith's smug look transformed into a look of horror as she saw the two five-year-olds zoning in on her. "Angel? Angel. Come here. _Now_."

* * *

**D** is for **Demon**

"You made a mistake kidnapping us. _Especially_ at Christmas." The fourteen-year-old blond girl sing-songed as she tried in vain to get the chains off her wrists. "You're gonna die."

"It's probably not the best idea to tease our kidnappers." hissed the red-headed girl next to her.

The blond girl snorted. "Puh-leeze. Mom and Dad and Aunt Willow and Uncle Xander and the armies of Slayers are going to come crashing through the door any minute." She raised her voice. "I'm warning you—you should start running soon."

"Where are they?" A chorus of cold voices went echoing through the room, courtesy of Willow's magicks.

"Mom! Buffy! Dawn!" Yelled Kennedy, her voice ricocheting off the sides of the caves. "In here!"

Tara added her voice to the yelling. "Aunt Willow! Mom! Dad! Aunt Faith! Come get us!"

"Stop." The demon said menacingly.

"Touch me and my mom will kill you." Said Tara smugly.

The demon laughed, and touched her face with one scaly finger. She shied away, and an arrow appeared, going through his chest.

"She did warn you." Buffy told the dead demon on the floor.

* * *

**E** is for **Easy**

Christmas had never been easy for Faith.

Christmas was a time for family, friends, lovers, children, parents, enemies, acquaintances…to put differences aside and come together.

Most of her life, Faith didn't have any of these.

Except maybe enemies.

Christmas had never had any special meaning for her. When she lived in Boston, it usually meant snow, and that was the extent of the celebration of the birth of Christ.

And now? She was the field leader for the Slayers.

Leave the planning to B, and Faith could have some fun. So Christmas was just another easy fight with the forces of darkness.

She smiled softly to herself, leaning back into the chest of a tall, dark, and handsome vampire-turned-human as she watched _It's A Wonderful Life_.

* * *

**F** is for **Family**

"No, I refuse to believe the fact that my little sister has a more vibrant sex life than Faith." said Buffy, covering her ears.

"Should I be taking that personally?" wondered Faith aloud.

"Just take it as a compliment, love." said Spike, winking while smoothing the hair of the little blonde girl he held in his lap. Buffy punched him in the arm, careful not to wake the sleeping baby. "Bloody hell, love, that hurt. What was that for?"

"You are _not_ helping." Buffy reprimanded.

"What disturbs me the most is that _Andrew_, by extension, also has a more vibrant sex life than _me_." said Xander, one arm perched lazily on the shoulder of his wife. Dallas rolled her eyes.

"I slept with Oz." announced Willow. She looked around at the stares she was getting. "Did I say that out loud?"

Buffy found her voice. "Like, recently?" she squeaked.

"Um, a week ago, when he was back in town." said Willow, head down.

"Well, I think we know who _really_ has the rowdy sex life." said Faith, grinning. "Giles."

The British man sputtered. "What? I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

"_I've_ heard you." accused Dawn. "I didn't even know people your age still_did_ it."

"I'm surprised you could hear it with all the moaning coming from your room." Giles muttered, face red.

"Don't hate the player—hate the game." said Dawn primly.

"That's it, the subject of Dawn's sex life is taboo for the rest of Christmas…And Dawn, he and Mom did it on a car."

She watched as her sister's face morphed into an expression of horror. "That is an image I could live without." The girl said slowly. "I think I'll go throw up now."

Buffy smiled at her baby, who grinned toothily back. "This is your family, sweetie. They'll always protect you." She whispered, unheard to all but Spike, who pretended temporary deafness to the exchange.

* * *

**G** is for **Grinch**

"Daddy!" shrieked the five-year-old, burrowing her head in the shoulder of the grinning man. "Make him stop."

"Shhh, sweetie, it's just a movie." Buffy reassured her daughter. "It'll all turn out okay in the end, I promise."

"Jeez, B, your kid gives vampires the willies, but is afraid of the Grinch." said Faith, laughing.

"Tara has never been in battle." said Buffy.

"Well, she sure as hell got William the Bloody wrapped around her finger." shot back Faith.

"Touche." Broke in Spike.

"You guys, this is a classic!" said Xander from one of the couches. "And some of us are trying to watch."

"Right, sorry." said Spike.

Buffy stuck her tongue out at Faith, who laughed at her childish antics, as Tara burrowed in closer to her father.

* * *

**H** is for **Hell**

"Nope. I refuse to fight an Apocalypse on Christmas." said Buffy, in a tone that dissuaded all arguments. The Core Four, plus Faith and Dawn, were seated on different spots in the kitchen. "I don't care who it is, they can wait until next year."

"Buffy—" started Giles.

"No, B has a point." piped up Faith from the counter she was seated on. "I mean, we just destroyed the First, what, a year ago? How can there be another Apocalypse?"

"What, am I the only one afraid that the world is going to go all brimstone and hellfire?" questioned Xander, eye patch firmly in place. "I mean, we fought the First over Christmas."

"Exactly!" cried Dawn. "And as the unofficial representative of the armies of Slayers, I think we should be able to have a break around Christmastime. I mean, even the schools are let out!"

"Dawn, you aren't even a Slayer." The look of hurt that passed over Dawn's face went unnoticed by all but Xander, and was gone as quickly as it had come. "How can you be representative?"

"Well, _I_ actually know the Slayers. Better than you, better than Faith." said Dawn.

There was silence, which was broken by Willow slowly speaking. "Er…it's all very well and good to say we aren't going to fight, but what about if they bring the fight to us?"

* * *

**I** is for **Icicle**

"I can't believe that you approved this!" cried Buffy, motioning towards the girl happily licking icicles. "Who knows where those icicles came from?"

"Whoa, B, take a chill pill." said Faith, amused. "If worse comes to worse, they strengthen their immune system. There's nothing wrong with that."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "You obviously never learned right and wrong, Faith." She said coldly.

"And it's zero to bitch in under 30 seconds." muttered Faith.

"Faith, you're godmother. You can't be so irresponsible!" cried Buffy.

"Okay, I'm sorry I let your kid eat the icicle. Happy?"

"Ecstatic." said Buffy, rolling her eyes.

* * *

**J** is for **Jingle Bells**

"What do you mean you've never heard of Jingle Bells?" asked Dawn in shock, staring at one of the newly-called Slayers.

The Slayer spoke in a foreign language, while another one of the girls translated. "In my village, we don't have Jingle Bells."

Dawn clapped her hands together. "That's it. We are _all_ taking a break from training." The Slayers gave a united sigh of relief, dropping to the floor. "Now," said the former Key, "Christmas is in two days. Who doesn't have anywhere to go?" She amended the thought. "Sorry, who isn't going home?"

Several of the girls raised their hands. Dawn winced at their number, feeling for the girls. At least she had Buffy around.

"Okay, in the spirit of Christmas, we are going to have a party." She announced, determined. "We are going to have eggnog, and cakes, and I am going to kiss Andrew under the mistletoe. And possibly Xander. And maybe one of you, in a non-lesbian, Christmas-y way." She visibly brightened. "Who wants to help plan it?"

A group of hands shot into the air. Dawn smiled to herself, pleased that she had brought a little Christmas joy into the hearts of the abandoned Slayers.

* * *

**K** is for **Kisses**

"Nope. No way, no how." said Spike, leaning back comfortably. "We are not inviting little Bit's boyfriend over for Christmas dinner. As long as I don't see him, I can still believe my daughter still thinks that the stork brings babies and that the good guys always win."

"Sweetie, come on." Cajoled Buffy. "Kyle's a nice kid. You should at least give him the benefit of the doubt."

Spike raised his eyebrows.

Buffy accepted the fact that she couldn't change her husband's mind this way. So she slowly began to close in, sitting on his lap.

"You know," She kissed him, "if you did this," She kissed him again, "I would be," again, "ever so grateful." She batted her eyelashes at him.

He groaned. "Not fair. That's cheating."

"That's life." She grinned.

"Fine, the boy can come." He rolled his eyes. "But I ain't gonna be his bloody best friend." He warned.

* * *

**L** is for **Lilies**

"You didn't." gasped Faith, looking around the room.

"I did." Shot back Angel, grinning at the stunned look on his girlfriend's face. She grinned back, pulling him into a hug.

"They're beautiful." She whispered.

"Now don't go getting soft on me, Faithie." said Angel, slightly alarmed.

"How'd you know they were my favorite?"

"You told Buffy once, and she passed it on to me. Merry Christmas, Faith."

Faith looked around the room, which was filled with Casablanca lilies, and smiled—something rarely seen on her face. She pulled Angel into a kiss, and smiled impishly.

"I'll show _you_ soft." She shot at Angel, pulling him towards the bed, careful not to step on any of the beautiful lilies.

* * *

**M** is for** Mistletoe**

"Dawnie! What are you doing?" questioned Faith, bounding up to the girl, who had an expression similar to that of a girl with her hand in the cookie jar.

The girl laughed nervously. "Y'know…just hanging mistletoe."

Faith grinned, impressed. "Wow, three guesses at whose playing matchmaker this holiday season."

Dawn smiled. "Well, what with Spike and Angel coming back all human and whatnot, and all the awkwardness, I figure we need just enough awkwardness that is supplied by mistletoe…"

"Should be enough to push all the awkwardness behind us." Finished Faith.

Dawn grinned. "Exactly!" The brunettes shared a smirk.

"So…" began Faith. "Where were you thinking of hanging said mistletoe?"

The younger woman tossed her hair. "I was thinking over every doorway in the entire house."

"I like your thinking." Said Faith with admiration.

"Thinking about what?" came a suspicious voice from the red-haired Wicca who had just entered the room. Dawn and Faith shared another smirk, before turning to Willow with identical puppy dog expressions.

"Will, you wanna help us with something…?" began Faith.

* * *

**N** is for **Nativity**

"'And so,' the Lord sayeth, 'go into debt with the buying of players of DVD's, and sweaters, and large foam Hulk hands so that your descendants may beat upon each other in my holy name.'" Finished Xander with a flourish, as most of Slayer Central that was staying for the holidays stared at him openmouthed.

"Um, I don't think that's how the story goes…" began Willow. "I mean, I'm Jewish, but I always heard a different version at the holiday parties…"

Faith shook her head. "Man, that is so messed up. Where's your Christmas spirit?"

"I have spirit! I am celebrating the spirit of consumerism!" defended Xander.

"I agree with Mr. Consumer over there." Piped in Dawn. "Chrismas is just a celebration of gift-giving."

"You guys have no Christmas spirit." Said Angel.

"Says the guy who was considered the anti-Christ for most of his undead life?" Shot back Dawn.

"Touché." muttered Angel.

* * *

**O** is for **Ornaments**

"Grandpa!" Yelled Tara, causing Giles to wince. "Help me!" The fourteen-year-old girl held up an elegant ornament, wrinkling her nose. "Too stuffy."

"Tara—" began Giles.

She rolled her eyes. "I know, I know! You like stuffy. But as the resident expert in Slayer Central of what's hot and what's not, I have to say, this is totally not."

"You have as good a grip on the English language as your mother." Muttered Giles.

"I'm going to ignore that not-so-subtle dig at Mom's communication skills." The blonde informed her surrogate grandfather. "So, are you going to help, or what?"

"I suppose so…let me see those." She passed him the ornaments. He studied them critically. "Well, these all have to go."

Tara hid a smile. "Grandpa, we can't throw them away…"

"Well, do something, because these ornaments are simply too worn for use. They will break any minute." As of to prove his point, one of the ornaments fell to the floor and smashed.

Giles stared at the blonde smiling innocently, and cursed his fatherly instincts. "I rest my case." He said wearily, as the girl laughed.

* * *

**P** is for** Presents**

"Buffy!" sing-songed Dawn, walking through the hallways. "Buffy?!"

"What do you want, Dawn?" came an irritated voice from inside a room. The brunette girl entered the room, coming face to face with her blonde sister.

"Um, there's a bit of an emergency on the police scanner, or at least that's what I heard…" the girl trailed off.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Let me go see what it is." She ran out of the room, giving Dawn exactly a five-minute window to find where her presents were hidden. The girl rubbed her hands together.

"Let the games begin." She said to no one in particular.

She began to search through the closet and the drawers, being careful not to rumple any of the clothes or leave any trace that she had gone through the drawers.

She stopped, groaning. "She probably got Willow to put a spell on them…"

"What did you expect?" said Buffy, leaning against the door frame. It's the same every year. You look, you find, you know. Well, I'm changing the rules." She flashed a feral grin. "You won't be finding anything."

Dawn glared at her sister, a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"The suspense is going to kill me!" She wailed.

The reply from Buffy was one of sarcasm and annoyance.

"Build a bridge and get over it."

* * *

**Q** is for** Question**

"No, I do not thing it's suspicious that Santa can make it around the world in one night, Andrew. It's not some Nazi plot to destroy the world. It's CHRISTMAS, for Pete's sake!" The girl glared angrily at her boyfriend.

Andrew folded his arms. "Why doesn't he use his time-stopping powers to fight crime? Or deliver food and medicine to the impoverished? No, he gives toys to rich, spoiled kids who don't deserve it. Is that fair? I think not."

"It's not a question of FAIR." cried Dawn. "It's _Christmas_. Have a little Christmas spirit, okay?"

"I refuse to consider Christmas spirit until I bring this…this…Sith to justice!" declared Andrew.

Dawn stared in shock. "You…just said that…Santa is on the Dark Side…That is so nerdy I can't even begin to fathom it!"

"I bet you Santa has sweatshops where he forces non-English speaking people to work 14 hours a day…" mused Andrew.

"This is _Santa_, not the United States government." Said Dawn in exasperation.

"Oh, I'll get him." Said Andrew thoughtfully.

Dawn's eyes flashed. "What if I said _you_ weren't getting _anything_ until you stop this stupid pursuit of Santa?"

Andrew gulped.

* * *

**R** is for** Reindeer**

"'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except for the seven Slayers sneaking down to see their presents." Reprimanded Buffy.

"How do you know we were going to go look at what presents we got?" questioned Faith. "Maybe we were waiting for Santa and his reindeer."

Buffy snorted. "And, of course, you _would_ be the leader of this little escapade."

"What can I say, B? I've always waited up for Santa and his reindeer." Faith smiled impishly.

Buffy threw her hands in the air. "I give up! Just don't be too loud, or you'll wake up Tara and Kennedy. And you do _not_ want two screaming six-month-olds on your hands."

Faith saluted. "Ay ay, Cap'n!"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Very funny."

* * *

**S** is for **Shanshu**

Buffy laughed at her sister's antics, glad to see that Dawn was getting over her break-up with John. He was never good enough for her anyways. All the occupants of the room stopped talking as a knock was heard on the door.

"I'll get it." Said Buffy tiredly. "It's probably a new Slayer…they come all the time, and now, apparently, even on Christmas…" She pulled open the door, coming face-to-face with a pale face with bleach blond hair and an equally pale face with black hair.

"Surprise." Said the blond in an unmistakably British accent.

Buffy moved her hand out to touch his face as if it were a dream. When she made contact, her eyes flew open, and she threw herself at the man, punching every part of him she could reach.

"You." Punch. "Are." Punch. "The _most_." Punch. "Idiotic, annoying, completely _insane_ person I have ever met! How long have you been alive?" She demanded.

Spike looked at Angel, who shrugged. "A year, give or take?"

Buffy's eyes widened, and the flurry of punches began again. "A year? A _year_? I tell you I love you, and you die, and come back, and I don't find_out_ about it for a _year_?"

Spike grabbed his arm. "That bloody hurts more than it used to, what with me being _human_ now and all…" He glared at the small blonde.

"Wait…" Interceded Angel. "Can we go back to the you telling him you loved him? What happened to cookie dough?"

"What are you talking about?" Asked Spike in exasperation.

Buffy was still staring at the vampires—no, _men_—in front of her in silence. "Wait…" She said breaking her silence. She placed her hand on Spike's arm, feeling the heat radiating off of it.

"Oh my God…" She said.

"Well, well, well. You guys actually did it." Smirked Faith, leaning against the doorframe. "I always thought if any vampires could find a way to become human, it would be one of you." She inspected both guys. "Wow, B, you've got to tell me how you get them so _whipped_."

Buffy was still staring at Spike.

* * *

**T** is for **Tara**

Buffy watched as the sixteen-year-old blonde girl who meant as much to her as Dawn practiced hand-to-hand combat moves with the Slayers that were her age.

"Penny for your thoughts, love." Came an English voice from behind. Buffy leaned back against Spike's chest.

"Is it really necessary?" She asked.

Spike followed her gaze and snorted. "She's been raised around fighters her whole life, only natural that she should be one. She's already got some skills, but at least now we won't have to worry about normal dangers."

"It's just…"

"Also, you have to consider that her best friend was Chosen for something that we were always sure Tara would get. Kennedy being a Slayer has made Tara feel…inadequate, I believe."

He was greeted with Buffy's silence. "Love? Are you okay?"

"I don't think she needs to worry about feeling inadequate." Said Buffy slowly, pointing to the place where their daughter stood, utterly shocked, with three unconscious Slayers littered around her. "Merry Christmas. I think Tara just got Chosen…"

* * *

**U** is for **Ureters**

"Ureters—part of the renal system." Recited Dawn. "They are part of the pathway between the kidneys and the bladder."

"That's right—Dude, why are you studying over Christmas break? We all know your gonna ace this med test." Commented Denise, Dawn's best friend and confidante.

"I need to get into med school." Replied Dawn. "I feel so…useless at Slayer HQ. We've got Willow for magicks, Faith for battle, Buffy for war-planning, Giles for information, Xander for patrols, Spike for much-needed sarcasm—and I think it's time we actually had a real doctor at Slayer Central, instead of making makeshift splints from boards and stealing bandages from hospitals."

"You need to take a break." Advised Denise, grinning at her best friend's view of her life. "You know, most people would kill to be in the position you're in."

Dawn snorted. "Yes, I have an overprotective older sister with superpowers, whose equally overprotective boyfriend used to be a vampire. I live in a freaking_fortress_ with a _moat_. My sister's best friends have a tendency to go Apocalyptic on a regular basis. So, _yeah_, it's not exactly a boy magnet."

Denise waved her hand airily. "Yeah, but look on the bright side! You're practically one of the leaders in the fight against evil! What you do _means_ something! I'm just an intern, while you're out saving the world again and again. You're in a unique position, Dawn."

"Whatever." The brunette mumbled. "Just test me on the systems again." She flopped down on her bed.

The redhead next to her rolled her eyes, and picked up the _Grey's Anatomy_ that was lying on the bed. "Blood is filtered in the—"

"Nephron."

"Why are we studying over Christmas break again?"

* * *

**V** is for **Vampire**

"Okay, focus." Buffy instructed her fifteen-year-old daughter. The girl rolled her eyes in exasperation, shivering slightly in the December cold, kicking at the snow.

"I'm not sure how much harder I can concentrate." She informed Buffy.

"She has _your_ attention span." Buffy motioned towards Spike.

"No argument here." Said Spike. "I never was much for waiting."

"You are unbelievable!" Buffy rolled her eyes. They were distracted by the hands clawing out of the dirt. "Okay, Tara, what are you going to do?"

"Stake him?" She pointed out the obvious.

"If we weren't here, you would run. As fast an as far as you can. And why?" questioned Buffy.

"He has the power." recited Tara.

"Exactly." They waited as the vampire struggled out of the grave. "Ready?"

Tara squared her shoulders. "Okay, I'll go for it."

She ran towards the vampire, and was backhanded in the mouth as a result. Buffy started forward, but Spike placed a hand on her arm. "She needs this." He murmured quietly.

Tara recovered, wiping her mouth, tasting copper blossoming in her cheek. "Ooooh, you're gonna get it." She growled.

She ducked and rolled, coming up on her feet, and hurled a stake at the vampire. His eyes tracked the projectile as it hit the tree behind him.

"You missed." He said, a smug look on his face.

"Well, that's kind of the point of a distraction." Came from behind him. He felt something cut into his back, and looked down to see a wooden stake protruding from his chest, before bursting into dust. Tara wiped her hands on her pants, grimacing at the dust. She turned to her parents, smiling brightly.

"So, how'd I do?"

* * *

**W** is for **Winter**

"It's snowing! It's snowing!" An extremely hyper six year old bounced on Willow's bed. "Mommy, wake up! Can I go to Tara's and play in the snow?"

"Kennedy, sweetie, you've gotta let Mommy sleep for a few more minutes." Mumbled Willow.

"But…snow!" The attempt to excite her mother with this piece of information failed, and Kennedy resigned herself to waiting for a little longer until her mother woke up.

She ran out of the room towards the window, staring outside at the beautiful whiteness drifting down from the sky.

"It's snow-ing, it's snow-ing!" She sang.

There was a knock on the door. The little girl ran and opened it.

"Aunt Buffy!" She giggled. "Uncle Spike! Tara! It's snowing!"

"Yeah, it is." Spike said, grinning down at the girl, who smiled beatifically back.

"Come on!" said Tara, tugging her best friend along. "Let's go watch the snow."

The adults watched as the two girls sprinted to the window.

* * *

**X** is for **X-Ray**

"It sucks that you're stuck in the hospital on Christmas." Seventeen-year-old Tara sympathized with her friend.

"Look at that x-ray, though, pretty sweet, _non_?" giggled Kennedy. "I can't believe we did it! If only I hadn't fallen off the building…" She sighed, looking down at the cast on her leg.

Tara struck a pose. "You're a Slayer. We heal quickly. And the memories will stay forever!"

"The memories of six Slayers carrying the principal's car to the roof of the school?" said Kennedy doubtfully.

"Exactly!" Said Tara, climbing on the bed with her best friend, blonde hair splaying over the blankets. "Think of the pride we earned. Can I sign your cast?"

"Why? It'll be gone in a few days." The redhead adjusted herself.

Tara shrugged. "Dunno. Don't you think it might be cool?"

"Uh…no."

The blonde stuck her tongue out. "Spoilsport!"

"Well, my leg is broken. I deserve to be a spoilsport!"

"Well, you can keep the x-ray is a memento!" consoled her friend.

* * *

**Y** is for **Yuletide**

"'Tis the season, to be jolly, fa la la la la la la la la!" sang Dawn, dancing through the hallways. "Deck the halls with boughs of holly!"

"Dawn…" said Willow, walking down the hall towards her. "What are you doing?"

"I," announced the brunette proudly, "am spreading the Christmas spirit! No more will anyone in this house think that it is just a holiday of consumerism! I am making this a Yuletide to remember!"

"Yuletide?" questioned Willow.

"You know." Dawn gestured vaguely into the air. "Yuletide. Christmastime. Winter Solstice?"

"I know what Yuletide_is_." Snapped Willow. "Why did you use that word?"

"'Cos it's _cool_." grinned Dawn.

"Dawn, are you sick? Wait—did you get into the eggnog?"

"Maybe…" Said Dawn, trying for an air of mystery and failing.

"Oookay, let's get you into bed." Said Willow, using magicks to still the slightly tipsy Dawn. "You will feel this in the morning."

"Yuletide!" yelled the girl.

* * *

**Z** is for** Zarathaa**

It had all started with the stupid guidance counselor. It was so unfair.

Tara had been angry at her parents, and it had obviously been taken advantage of by that woman…Zarathaa. All she had done was made ONE LITTLE WISH.

And suddenly her dad is a vampire again, her mom is fifteen, and Willow has really long hair.

So, now, here she was, cleaning up the wreckage from her dad's little rampage and her mom and dad's fight.

"Stupid…effing…vengeance demon!" She muttered, picking up a steel bar that had fallen off a part of the railing.

Kennedy turned and glared at her best friend.

"What?" the pink-haired girl defended herself, "It's not my fault." She grumbled.

"Whose fault is it, then?" questioned Kennedy.

"My parents…for telling me they are going to have another baby—I mean, what the hell is up with that? And at _Christmas_ for goodness sake!"

A voice issued from the upstairs balcony. Both girls looked up to see Buffy raising an eyebrow at them as she spoke.

"If I had known it would end like _this_, I never would have told you."


End file.
